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Mario Kart sends Wii U sales soaring 666% in the UK

News by Matt S.

Has Mario Kart 8 actually achieved the impossible and started a turnaround of the struggling Wii U? The first week of sales would actually suggest there's merit to that idea.

In the UK, Mario Kart's first week of sales sent the Wii U sales soaring by 666 per cent. Of course, this is from a tiny, tiny base, but should this success be recreated around the world, the Wii U is certainly on its way to having its first month of healthy sales in some time.

To give you an idea of how significant the release of that one game was to the Wii U's sales this week, it's worth noting that a full 82 per cent of Wii Us sold in the week were bundled with a copy of Mario Kart 8.

The worry for Nintendo is still the software that is coming for the console for the year ahead. Short of a mind-blowing E3 presentation filled with surprises for the Wii U, Nintendo only really has the release of Super Smash Bros. at Christmas for the console. And that game is being released on the 3DS a full six months earlier.

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